CSM to Xcat Transition On

Front cover

Configuring and Managing AIX Clusters Using xCAT 2

An xCAT guide for CSM system administrators with advanced features

How to transition your AIX cluster to xCAT xCAT 2 deployment guide for a new AIX cluster

Octavian Lascu Tim Donovan Saul Hiller Simeon McAleer László Niesz Sean Saunders Kai Wu Peter Zutenis ibm.com/redbooks

International Technical Support Organization

Configuring and Managing AIX Clusters Using xCAT 2

October 2009

SG24-7766-00

Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on page ix.

First Edition (October 2009)

This edition applies to Version 2, Release 2, Modification 1 of Extreme Cluster Administration Tool (xCAT 2) for AIX.

© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2009. All rights reserved. Note to U.S. Government Users Restricted Rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp. Contents

Notices ...... ix Trademarks ...... x

Preface ...... xi The team that wrote this book ...... xi Become a published author ...... xiii Comments welcome...... xiv

Part 1. Introduction ...... 1

Chapter 1. Introduction to clustering ...... 3 1.1 Clustering concepts...... 4 1.1.1 Cluster types ...... 4 1.1.2 Cluster components ...... 5 1.1.3 Cluster nodes ...... 7 1.1.4 Cluster networks ...... 9 1.1.5 Hardware, power control, and console access ...... 11 1.2 Suggested cluster diagram ...... 13 1.3 Managing high performance computing (HPC) clusters ...... 15 1.3.1 What is CSM ...... 15 1.3.2 xCAT 2: An 0pen source method for cluster management ...... 16 1.3.3 xCAT 1.1.4 and CSM to xCAT 2 - History and evolution ...... 17 1.3.4 IBM (Systems) Director vs. xCAT 2 ...... 18

Chapter 2. xCAT 2 architecture ...... 21 2.1 Overview of xCAT 2 features ...... 22 2.1.1 Operating systems and distributions supported ...... 23 2.1.2 Supported hardware ...... 24 2.1.3 Hardware control...... 24 2.1.4 Hierarchical clusters ...... 25 2.2 Overview of the xCAT 2 architecture...... 26 2.2.1 xCAT 2 database ...... 28 2.2.2 xCAT 2 directory structure ...... 30 2.2.3 xCAT network fundamentals ...... 31 2.2.4 Monitoring infrastructure ...... 33

2.2.5 Parallel remote command execution and file copy, File Sync...... 37 2.2.6 Additional features ...... 38 2.3 Support offering terms...... 39

3.1.2 Modular structure ...... 42 3.1.3 Database...... 43 3.1.4 Notification infrastructure ...... 44 3.1.5 Deploying both diskless and diskful nodes ...... 44 3.1.6 Automatic setup of services ...... 44 3.1.7 Role-based system administration ...... 44 3.1.8 Dynamic nodegroups ...... 44 3.1.9 Secondary adapters ...... 45 3.1.10 RMC monitoring ...... 45 3.2 Features ...... 54 3.3 Hardware and software considerations ...... 55 3.4 Hardware considerations...... 55 3.5 SW considerations ...... 55 3.6 Database ...... 56 3.7 Administrative task comparison...... 59 3.7.1 Table comparing functionality ...... 59 3.7.2 Comparison of common admin commands...... 62

Part 2. Implementation ...... 69

Chapter 4. CSM to xCAT 2 transition ...... 71 4.1 Introduction to implementation scenarios ...... 72 4.1.1 Hardware...... 72 4.1.2 Software ...... 72 4.1.3 Test environment diagram ...... 73 4.1.4 Scenarios description ...... 73 4.2 Preparing your CSM cluster for transition ...... 76 4.2.1 Things to check before the transition ...... 76 4.2.2 Remote shell/copy back-end considerations...... 78 4.2.3 Backing up CSM data ...... 78 4.2.4 Saving secondary adapter information ...... 82 4.2.5 Save RMC monitoring data ...... 83 4.3 Transitioning nodes to a different MN ...... 84 4.3.1 Preparing the xCAT 2 management node (MN) for transition...... 84 4.3.2 Gather CSM